The Vatican plans to build an agrivoltaic renewable-energy plant costing about €100 million, with the project expected to make Vatican City State largely self-sufficient in electricity within two years, according to people involved in discussions over the scheme.

The plant at Santa Maria di Galeria, on the north-western outskirts of Rome, is expected to generate between 80 and 90 megawatts, potentially making it one of Italy’s largest agrivoltaic installations. Contracts are expected to go to tender in the coming weeks, while construction and the associated permitting and administrative procedures could take 18 to 24 months.

Agrivoltaic systems combine solar-power generation with agriculture. Panels are installed several metres above the ground, allowing crops or livestock activity to continue underneath. The shade created by the panels can also reduce water evaporation and protect plants from extreme weather.

The Vatican-owned Santa Maria di Galeria estate covers roughly 450 hectares and has hosted Vatican Radio transmission facilities since the 1950s. About 200 hectares could eventually be covered by tracking solar panels, according to one of the sources involved in the project.

The project is not a new proposal. Pope Francis ordered the creation of an agrivoltaic installation at the site in June 2024 through the Fratello Sole (“Brother Sun”) motu proprio, with the stated aim of supplying both the radio station and the energy needs of Vatican City State.

The plan moved closer to implementation this year. Italy and the Holy See’s agreement on the project entered into force on 27 May 2026, after being signed in July 2025 and ratified through the required procedures. The agreement extends a special legal status already applying to Vatican Radio facilities at Santa Maria di Galeria to the agrivoltaic project and related infrastructure.

On 10 June, the Vatican Governorate, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, the Fratello Sole Foundation and Italian energy company ACEA signed a memorandum of understanding to develop and progressively implement the plant.

Pope Leo XIV formally established the Fratello Sole Foundation on 1 June. The Vatican said the foundation would oversee the construction and management of the agrivoltaic facility and the production, distribution and supply of electricity for Vatican City State and other properties linked to the Holy See.

The electricity is primarily intended for Vatican Radio and Vatican City State. According to the sources cited in the latest project discussions, power could also be supplied to Holy See-linked properties such as Rome’s Bambino Gesù hospital, while surplus electricity could be made available to Italy.

The Vatican is not expected to receive the financial incentives available to Italian households and businesses that install solar systems. Italy’s ratification law also states that implementation of the bilateral agreement must not create new or additional burdens on public finances.